Puck’s Matt Belloni is reporting that Netflix is shelling out a massive $35M to lock in Denzel Washington for the newly announced crime thriller “Here Comes the Flood,” which will also star Robert Pattinson and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
Denzel’s paycheck— reportedly an all-in deal including backend buyouts —seems to be his going rate these days for streaming projects. One source mentioned that Netflix was simply matching the $35M Apple and A24 paid him for Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest,.”
As of 2025, Dwayne Johnson stands as the highest-paid actor per movie, commanding an estimated $50M for his role in Amazon’s “Red One.” This deal was believed to be the largest fee-plus-buyout ever secured for a single film.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.